Flu cases in Guernsey County minimal so far
Schools potential hothouses for the spread of respiratory illnesses

John Lowe
The Daily JeffersonianPublished: February 3, 2014 1:00PM

Now that students are back in the classrooms of area schools, the opportunities for the spread of illnesses, including the serious H1N1 influenza virus, have increased.

"Traditionally in this area, [infections of] the flu peak in January and February," Cathy McIntire said. McIntire, a registered nurse, is director of infection prevention at Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center.

So far this season, this area and Ohio in general have not been impacted by the flu to the extent that some other areas of the country have been, she said. Still, there has been an uptick in the number of cases seen at the hospital.

"In the last couple of weeks, we have had quite a few come through the emergency department with respiratory illnesses," she said. "We have had some admitted including a few children. Some have been very ill."

As of Friday, this influenza season had seen nine, flu-related, pediatric deaths among children across the United States.

"These are otherwise healthy kids who get the flu and die," McIntire said. "These were healthy kids. That's the scary part."

Of all of the flu cases tested across the country, 60 percent have tested positive for the H1N1 strain, she said. (Not all cases are tested.)

Now that students have returned to school during the peak flu season, the chances for respiratory illnesses have increased.

"We find that when kids are congregating, the number of all of [the communicable] disease cases go up," McIntire said. "The kids are in the classrooms and they're not always good about covering their mouths when they sneeze."

The flu, of course, is spread through saliva droplets which are expelled during a cough or a sneeze. Covering the mouth with a tissue, a hand or an arm at the crook of the elbow helps obstruct the spread of the virus.

McIntire recommends covering the sneeze with the arm. Anyone using a hand to cover a sneeze should apply an alcohol-based sanitizer to their hands immediately afterwards or wash their hands with water and soap.

"Sneezing into your hand is OK, but if you don't clean your hand after sneezing, you might as well not have done anything."

Of course, the number one method for fending off the flu is to get the annual influenza vaccination, McIntire said. Even people who received the H1N1 vaccination several years ago should still get the annual flu shot because the vaccine loses its effectiveness over time.

The annual flu vaccine is a cocktail against three or four strains of the flu, including H1N1.

"The Centers for Disease Control looks at which strains were around last year and that's what they base the vaccine on for the current year."

Contrary to the belief of some, a person cannot contract the flu from the flu shot because the viruses in the vaccine are dead, McIntire said.

If a person who has had the shot becomes ill, it would be because they were exposed to the virus before receiving the shot or shortly afterwards. It takes two weeks for the vaccine to become effective, she said.

It is good to have assorted medicines, tissues and sanitizers on hand in the home in case a family member becomes ill. Cleaning the telephones, door knobs, remote controls and counter tops will decrease the spread of the disease.

McIntire said people who are ill should not visit patients at the hospital because the immunity of patients is typically lower.

The hospital does have sanitizers and masks at the entrance for ill people who must visit a patient.